Sturgeon: Scotland wants to be EU member, but doesn’t want the euro

Scotland's First Minister and Scottish National Party (SNP) Leader Nicola Sturgeon shopping as she meets local residents and business owners during a walkabout to visit businesses on Auchterader High Street, in Auchterader, Scotland, 8 May 2017. [Robert Perry/EPA]

Speaking to the BBC, Sturgeon said Scotland may also urged voters to choose her Scottish National Party in next month’s general election to help make Scotland’s voice heard in upcoming Brexit negotiations.

“If Scotland is independent… we want Scotland to be a full member of the European Union,” she said, adding: “We don’t want to go into the euro. No member of the EU can be forced into the euro.”

In fact, all new EU members who joined in 2004 (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Malta), in 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania) and Croatia in 2013, are under the obligation to join the euro, according to their accession treaties.

#Marr Sturgeon, no member of the EU can be forced into the Euro. Aren't all 'new' members obliged to accept €?

“Now it may be that we have a phased approach,” she added, confirming that Scotland may have to consider EFTA membership first “by necessity”.

Sturgeon has called for a referendum on Scottish independence after she said the British government dismissed her request for Scotland to be given special dispensation to stay in Europe’s single market.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said Britain as a whole is pulling out of the single market in order to be able to limit immigration from other parts of the European Union but wants to keep close trade ties.

“There is a lot of concern, even among some people that voted Leave, that we are heading down the road of a very extreme Brexit,” Sturgeon said on Sunday.

“If you vote SNP you are strengthening my hand to make sure that Scotland’s voice is heard… and we can press the case for Scotland’s place in the single market,” she said.

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Comments

10 responses to “Sturgeon: Scotland wants to be EU member, but doesn’t want the euro”

If she don’t want the Euroe the she can remain with the UK’s Pound Sterling . Why the reason then to be EU Member and asks for Independence ?
Sturgeon wants the cake and try eat all alone . No – she better should remain with the UK .

After 2004 Things have changed to opt the Euro ! I Remember Erdogan from Turkey asked to join but not to opt the european currency !
But Turkey is good out and concerning Scotland either they would adopt like the other or can remain outside .
Sturgeon don’t really need to call for a referendum . Really a british an türkish mistery .

Why is the euro an issue? it is not like Scotland has its own currency as we speak. That being said. Some European countries have been ‘under obligation’ to join the euro, if they meet the requirements, for decades. They simply make sure not to meet the requirements and the whole ‘obligated’ part turns into a joke.

The obligation to join the Euro exists, but there are so many criteria to join it that many EU countries don’t have it and don’t intend to use it, though ‘obligated’ as they are.
For a possible newly independent Scotland it’s appropriate possibly a necessity that there is a transition stage before full EU membership so temporary EFTA membership is just being prudent and cautious….all the things that good governance should be.
Within the EFTA single market and as a neighbour to Brexit rUK, Scotlands economy will lose its constraints and grow. Only at that time can scots realistically make an informed decision and if joining the Euro is a show-stopper then so be it. As long as Scotland is comfortable economically when independent can it commit and should anyone else demand that it commits to the Euro.
Given Scotland voted 62% to stay in the EU, I can’t imagine that at this time that more than 1/2 of the electorate would want the Euro. Sturgeon is bang on the money with this “issue”. Access to the single market is clearly something that something lie 80% of Scots can agree about.